Environmental Report

Green Management Policy

The Inland Revenue Department is committed to providing a green office environment and operating in an environmentally conscious and responsible manner. Reducing consumption of paper and energy in the office continues to be the Department's green target in view of its office-based operations. We strive to protect and conserve the environment through:

Green Management and Promotion of Green Awareness

Green Management

The Environment and Records Management Committee is chaired by the Departmental Secretary, the Department's Green Manager, and is composed of green executives from Units and Sections. During the year, the Committee continued to seek staff's suggestions, set directions in our green policies, issue green office guidelines and update staff on new green initiatives adopted. The appointed floor green ambassadors assisted the Green Manager in promoting green awareness and implementing environmental programmes on a floor basis.

Green Education

Various measures were taken during the year to promote environmental awareness amongst staff, including:

The Department also participated in various activities such as The Community Chest Green Day with a view to arousing the staff's awareness of environmental protection. Besides, the IRD Sports Association assisted in promoting green awareness and healthy lifestyle among staff by organising a variety of activities in the year, including health talks, visit to an organic farm and outings to the countryside.

Environmental Protection Performance

To balance operational needs with environmental care and social responsibility, the Department focuses its efforts to provide a healthy working environment with satisfactory indoor air quality, conserve energy, reduce paper consumption, minimise waste production and encourage waste recycling.

Smoke-free Workplace

Smoking has been prohibited in Revenue Tower since 1996. Starting from 2007, it is a statutory requirement that all indoor areas in workplaces are smoke-free. No-smoking signs are displayed at conspicuous locations in the office. Circulars are re-circulated regularly to remind staff about the importance of maintaining a smoke-free working environment and providing green healthy public areas to visitors.

Indoor Air Quality

We attach great importance to good indoor air quality. During the year, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department commissioned a contractor to conduct a comprehensive indoor air quality measurement in offices located in Revenue Tower. Revenue Tower was again awarded the “Indoor Air Quality Certificate (Good Class)” in August 2013. It shows that our office fully meets the requirements in this respect.

Energy Conservation

The Department is proactive in energy conservation and has implemented various energy saving measures to reduce electricity and water consumption. The following energy saving measures have been adopted:

These measures will continue to be implemented in the Department to conserve energy.

Adherence to the “3R” Principle

The Department continued to adhere to the 3R principle - “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” in the consumption of materials.

Reduction and Reuse of Paper

In specific, the Department adopted the following measures in the year to reduce paper and envelope consumption:

Waste recycling

The Department encourages all staff members to participate in the recycling programmes. Bags and recycling boxes are placed at conspicuous locations on all floors of the Department to facilitate the collection of the tharee recyclable wastes, namely papers, aluminium cans and plastic bottles. A recycling box for glass bottles is also placed at the lift lobby on ground floor of the Revenue Tower. Besides, used printer cartridges are also collected for recycling. Throughout the year, the Department collected 362,218 kg of waste paper, 120 kg of aluminium cans, 326 kg of plastic bottles, 417 kg of glass bottles and 7,802 used printer cartridges.

New Initiatives and Targets

The Department will strive to enhance its green performance through formulating and taking forward new initiatives and targets for environmental protection. The Intranet and the Departmental Portal will continue to be widely utilised for the enhancement of e-office facilities. Continuous efforts will be made to economise on the consumption of electricity and papers, and to promote the selection of recycled papers and green products in our procurement.